It has been a tumultuous year in South African politics, but we end it in slightly better shape than we started it – with a dangerous president increasingly running out of road, writes Arthur Christopher.

A trader puts his hand on his head on the floor of the New York Stock exchange, Thursday, October 9 2008 in New York City. After a day in which the markets showed early promise in gains, the Dow fell 678 points, falling below 9000 points at the end of the trading day. (Spencer Platt, AFP)

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock exchange on Thursday. (Spencer Platt, AFP)

A trader sits in front of a board displaying Germany's share index DAX at the stock exchange in Frankfurt/M. on Thursday. Frankfurt's stock exchange closed with the DAX index of leading shares at a low level of 4.887,00 points a day after central banks around the world cut interest rates in a bid to bring calm to financial markets. (Thomas Lohnes, AFP)

A local investor watches Taiwan Stock Exchange's small gains at a brokerage in Taipei, Taiwan, Thursday. Taiwan's stock exchange closed at 5130.71 or minus 1.45 percent after Taiwan's Central Bank said Thursday it was cutting a key interest rate for the second time in two weeks, amid slowing economic growth. (Wally Santana, AP)

Traders walk on the trading floor as the market is suspended at Indonesia Stock Exchange in Jakarta, Thursday. Trading on the Indonesia Stock Exchange was canceled Thursday and may remain suspended through the week following a share plunge of more than 10 percent on fears about the global financial crisis, officials said. (Dita Alangkara, AP)

An investor reacts as he looks at the stock price monitor at a private security company Thursday in Shanghai, China. Chinese stocks have fallen, giving up earlier gains in volatile trading that matched the reaction elsewhere to interest rate cuts aimed at easing the global credit crunch. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.8 percent, or 17.64 points, to 2,074.58 Thursday. (AP)

A traders work on the floor of the Istanbul Stock Exchange, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday. Responding to the negative overall global economic outlook, governments across the globe have moved to stabilise their financial markets. (Ibrahim Usta, AP)

A broker works at the Bovespa Stock Market in Sao Paulo, Thursday. Stocks rose in Latin America on Thursday as the Brazilian and Mexican governments sold dollars in reserves to ease credit and prop up their currencies. (Andre Penner, AP)

Traders work on the floor of the Brazilian Mercantile and Futures Exchange, in Sao Paulo on Thursday. (Andre Penner, AP)

A man changes the exchange rate on display for the US dollar against Chile's peso at a money exchange office in Santiago, Thursday. Investors panicked again across Latin America, prompting central banks to sell billions of dollars in reserves to prop up local currencies while stocks dove in a third straight day of extremely volatile trading. (Santiago Llanquin, AP)

Pedestrians watching market information are reflected in an electric signboard in Tokyo, Friday. Japanese shares nose-dived more than 10 percent in morning trade Friday as panicked investors dumped stocks following massive overnight losses on Wall Street and on growing fears over a global recession. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 974.12 points, or 10.64 percent, to close the morning session at 8,183.37; its second-biggest one-day loss since October 1987. (Katsumi Kasahara, AP)

A South Korean worker works next to a screen displaying stock price movement at the Korea Stock Exchange in Seoul, South Korea, Friday. (Lee Jin-man, AP)

Two brokers take a nap on the trading floor as the Indonesia Stock Exchange remains suspended in Jakarta on Friday. Indonesia suspended its morning trading as Asian markets plummeted, backing away from an earlier plan to reopen the bourse after a two-day halt, an official said. (Adek Berry, AFP)

A Chinese investor reacts in front of a stock price board showing falling prices at a private security firm in Shanghai on Friday. Chinese share prices opened sharply lower following a new round of losses on US and European stock markets. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index, which covers A and B shares, opened down 78.63 points, or 3.79 percent, at 1,995.96. (Mark Ralston, AFP)

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